Newcross News Issue 8 - May/June

newcrossnews 

Issue 8 | May/June 2016 

keeping you informed 

www.newcrosshealthcare.com 

Celebrating 4.2 million hours 

of quality care! 

Features 

2016 Managers’ Conference 

Highlights from the conference and awards 

• CQC praises Bristol and Plymouth branches for their care services 

• Revalidation: Supporting Newcross Nurses 

• Excellence in Healthcare and Complex Care Awards 

• Quality Counts 

• Newcross Volunteers - Charity update 

• And much more..!

£ 

recommend 

a 

just got better! 

How many friends can you recommend this year? 

£500 

for introducing a nurse 

£250 

for a healthcare worker 

Don’t delay, just log into www.mynewcross.com/staff/friend and click the friend button 

we’ll do the rest! 

good friends deserve 

great rewards 

Terms and conditions apply, subject to employee successfully completing 

an initial working period.


newcrossnews 

Welcome to the latest 

issue of newcrossnews 

Our latest issue is full to the brim with good news and 

updates for you. 

As we embark on a new financial year, we can allow 

ourselves a brief time to reflect on the last. 2015 what a 

year! We opened ten new branches across the country 

and employed an additional four hundred trained 

nursing and care staff. 

4 

8 

10 

Those staff together with you, our existing team 

provided an amazing 4.2 million hours of expert care 

last year that’s an increase of over 30 percent! We have 

worked with over 4,000 clients nationwide and 2,600 

of those are new relationships developed in the last 12 

months. With our current client satisfaction rate sitting 

at over 90 percent we all have a lot to be proud of and 

reflect on. 

14 

16 

20 

Michelle and I met with managers recently at our 2016 

conference. It saw our 70 strong management team 

coming together from our 49 branches across the UK 

to debate and discuss, engage, learn and celebrate 

success at our annual awards ceremony. You can read 

more on pages 10-13. 

CONTENTS 

4 

8 

10 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

20 

Spotlight 

All the latest Newcross News 

Excellence in Healthcare and Complex Care Awards 

2016 Newcross Managers’ Conference and awards 

Green News 

IT News 

Nurchat 

Revalidation 

Quality Counts 

Newcross Volunteers 

22 100 Club 

23 

Office Vacancies 

In this issue we also celebrate more success with the 

announcement of our latest Excellence in Healthcare 

winners. These awards are so important to us. They 

highlight the fantastic work you undertake everyday to 

go the extra mile and deliver the Newcross standard of 

care to our customers. Well done to our worthy 

winners! 

Inside you can also read about the new starters to the 

Newcross family: promotions and appointments, our 

100 Club celebrations, all about our branch launches, 

and our plans for the RCN Congress in June. 

Enjoy! 

Stephen Pattrick CEO 

Michelle Gorringe (RN) MD 

Head of Marketing and Communications 

Claire Barrow 

claire.barrow@newcrosshealthcare.com 

Digital Marketing and Advertising Manager 

Sarah Gill 

sarah.gill@newcrosshealthcare.com 

Internal Communications Officer 

Chris Atkinson 

christopher.atkinson@newcrosshealthcare.com 

External Communications Officer 

Carla Whyte 

carla.whyte@newcrosshealthcare.com 

Graphic Designer 

Alex Hall 

alex.hall@newcrosshealthcare.com 

Marketing Apprentice 

Jamie Ford 

jamie.ford@newcrosshealthcare.com 

T: 01803 867800 

E: communications@newcrosshealthcare.com 

What do you think of 

newcrossnews? 

Give us your feedback 

communications@newcrosshealthcare.com 

This magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper 

www.newcrosshealthcare.com | newcrossnews 3

newcrossnews 


spotlight 

WHAT’S MAKING THE NEWS IN NEWCROSS 

CQC praises our 

outstanding care services 

Congratulations to our 

Plymouth branch which 

has recently been rated 

overall as ‘Good’ with 

‘Outstanding’ leadership, by the 

Care Quality Commission (CQC) for 

their Complex Care service. 

CQC is the independent regulator 

of all health and social care in 

England who registers, monitors 

and inspects all health and care 

services on behalf of the 

government. 

The report found that our staff 

were well motivated and passionate 

about making a difference to 

people’s lives and that quality care 

and support to meet the needs of 

each individual client was reflected 

in the level of work received. Staff 

used words such as “rewarding, 

good, great, fulfilling, satisfying, 

happy” when describing how they 

felt working for Newcross. 

The CQC commented that staff and 

our registered manager, Michelle 

Damerell, shared the same vision 

and values which were embedded 

in their practice. 

Our clients also contributed to the 

inspection saying: “The care is 

person centred. Each care 

package is individually tailored to 

each client.” “I do feel care is based 

on best practice.” 

Michelle Damerell said, “I am 

delighted with the rating we have 

received from CQC. To be awarded 

‘Outstanding’ is fantastic and 

testament to the whole complex 

care team in Plymouth. Our team 

Plymouth Complex Care Manager 

Michelle Damerell 

are extremely dedicated, 

passionate and work incredibly 

hard so they thoroughly deserve 

this recognition.” 

The CQC has also rated the Complex 

Care Services at Newcross Bristol 

branch as ‘Good’ across every one of 

its inspection areas: Safety, 

Efficiency, Care, Responsiveness and 

Leadership. 

In particular, Inspectors highlighted 

the ‘very positive’ caring nature of 

Newcross staff. One relative, 

interviewed for the report said: 

“Whilst my daughter is severely 

disabled, her face always lights up 

when her carer arrives and she is so 

patient with her.” 

The inspection also highlighted 

how Newcross works closely with 

the families of people they were 

caring for to ensure trusting 

relationships are developed 

through thorough assessments and 

on-going communication. 

Bristol Complex Care Manager, 

Laura Nangreave went on to say: 

“I am so pleased that the CQC has 

awarded us a ‘Good’ rating 

following inspection across all 

areas. My team take the well-being 

of not only their clients, but also 

their families extremely seriously. 

They are dedicated, caring and 

hardworking they are as pleased as 

I am that their hard work has been 

recognised.” 

Bristol Complex Care Manager 

Laura Nangreave 

4 newcrossnews | www.newcrosshealthcare.com


spotlight 


newcrossnews 

New Complex Care 

Manager for Exeter 

announced 

Emma Seal has been promoted 

to the position of Complex Care 

Manager for our Exeter Branch. 

Emma is a Registered Nurse with 

over 25 years experience. She 

previously 

worked as Clinical 

Lead Nurse for 

the Exeter and 

Taunton branches. 

New roles in Business 

Development Team 

Alix Ripley has taken on a new 

role as Business Development 

Executive-Establishment. Alix’s 

new role will see her leading 

the development, marketing 

and sales offering for our 

establishment 

clients across 

the UK both 

existing and 

future. 

Hazel Mitchell has also 

accepted a new role as Head 

of Quality and Business 

Development Scotland. Hazel 

will work on continuing to 

ensure that only the highest 

care standards are achieved 

by our Scottish branches while 

developing new 

business 

opportunities 

for existing and 

new key clients. 

New branch launches in Colwyn Bay, 

Nottingham, Romford and Stockport 

boost local economies 

Colwyn Bay 

Building on the demand for 

high-quality members of staff 

provided by the nearby Chester 

branch, we’ve expanded into Colwyn 

Bay. Ami Allmand, Newcross’ 

Chester BCM commented, 

“Expanding into Colwyn Bay is a real 

boost for the local economy. We are 

delighted to be able to provide the 

Newcross standard of care to the 

Colwyn Bay area!” 

Ami Allmand, Chester BCM at the Colwyn Bay 

branch with nurse Kate La’course. 

Nottingham 

February saw us branching out 

into Nottingham with the launch 

of our 47th office, located on King 

Street. At the launch, Jordan 

Burdett, BCM said, “Expanding 

into Nottingham is very exciting 

and a great boost for the local 

economy. Geoff White, our 

Operations Director said 

“Expanding into the 

vibrant city of 

Nottingham was the 

natural next step”. 

Nottingham BCM Jordan 

Burdett 

Romford 

Following the successful launch of our 

South East branches we have opened 

another branch in Romford, Essex. 

Gary Grimes, Romford BCM said, “This 

is a very exciting time for Romford and 

I am really looking forward to 

meeting our new staff and clients.” 

Geoff White went on to say, “The 

demand for our services keeps 

growing and growing 

and this made the need 

for this Romford branch 

very apparent.” 

Romford BCM Gary Grimes 

Stockport 

We also launched our 48th branch in 

Stockport to support our already 

successful North West offices in 

Chester and Liverpool. 

Launching into ther area will create 

over 100 permanent nursing and 

healthcare jobs for Stockport and the 

surrounding area. Natalie 

Ilangakoonge, Stockport BCM 

commented, “Expanding into 

Stockport will be 

fantastic for the 

local economy.” 

Stockport BCM Natalie 

Ilangakoonge 


newcrossnews 

spotlight 



HR’s Hannah Rivett 

celebrates Navy 

promotion 

A warm welcome to 

our newest team 

Newcross members 

Damilola Ogunleye 

Complex Care Field Team Leader, 

Southampton 

Kath Richardson 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Bath 

Human Resource Officer, 

Hannah Rivett has been promoted 

to officer rank in the Royal Navy 

Reserves. She completed a two 

week assessment course at the 

Britannia Royal Navy College in 

Dartmouth, Devon. 

Hannah was tested on basic 

seamanship skills, weapons 

training and fitness and was also 

put through intense physical and 

mental pressure for four days in 

a survival exercise called “bivving 

out”. 

Hannah has been promoted to 

Midshipman and now intends to 

complete a further year of training 

before hopefully being promoted 

to Sub-Lieutenant. 

Congratulations 

Hannah! 

Neil Merritt 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Bournemouth 

Jade Thompson 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Nottingham 

Julia Pond 

Payroll Administrator, Head Office 

Natasha Woods 

Apprentice Healthcare Recruiter, 

Head Office 

Tracey Craig 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Newcastle 

Shania Walker 

Business Centre Apprentice, Truro 

Complex Care 

Damien Cooper 

Complex Care Co-ordinator, Torquay 

Sarah-Jane Aitken 

Complex Care Co-ordinator, Kirkcaldy 

Holly Graham-Wood 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Woking 

Sharon Cook 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Falkirk 

Petria Dominici 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Hamilton 

Amanda Huntley 

Nurse Recruitment Advisor, 

Head Office 

Michelle Williams 

Business Centre Manager, Ashford 

Beverley Du Plessis 

Business Centre Manager, Canterbury 

Bailey Dawson 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Bath 

Rosie Galt 

Paediatric Nurse Specialist, South West 

Samuel Loughran 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Ayr 

Morgan Bowden 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Barnstaple 

Natalie Ilangakoonge 

Business Centre Manager, Stockport 

Dimitrios 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Bristol 

Agnes Scott 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Perth 

Karen Breyley 

Healthcare Recruiter, Head Office 

Anne-Marie Jenkin 

Nurse Recruitment Advisor, Head Office 

Charlotte Wilson 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Norwich 

Aida Oliveira 

Complex Care Business Centre Manager 

Woking Complex Care 

Jakub Krzepkowski 

Healthcare Co-ordinator, Edinburgh 



spotlight 


newcrossnews 

Business centre 

manager success 

Welsh expansion as Newcross 

invests in new Swansea premises 

Plymouth Business Centre 

Manager, Michelle Damerell 

has successfully completed her 

NVQ Level 5 in Leadership for 

Health and Social Care. 

Tracy Willday, HR Director said: 

“Michelle has shown real 

dedication and passion over 

the past few months and her 

determination to continually 

push herself and expand her 

knowledge is a real credit to 

her.” 

Congratulations Michelle! 

We are pleased to announce that 

due to the on-going success of our 

Swansea branch, we have moved to 

a larger office to help accommodate 

our ever growing team! 

The move, which took place in 

February, allows us to expand our 

services to meet the demand in 

the local area. The bigger premises 

boasts new training rooms that will 

allow us to continue to deliver our 

high standard of learning and 

development we have built our 

business on. 

As part of the expansion, we have 

been able to recruit more nurses 

and Healthcare Assistants with a 

variety of skills and experiences to 

join our team and help us deliver 

the 'Newcross difference' from our 

new office. 

Claire Williamson, Business Centre 

Manager went onto say: “We look 

forward to welcoming clients and 

staff both old and new to our new 

offices. Our new surroundings will 

allow us to capitalise on our 

growing business and provide an 

even better service to our 

customers across South Wales". 

Celebrating 20 years of Quality Care 

On June 10th 1996, Managing 

Director Michelle Gorringe and 

CEO Stephen Pattrick shared a 

vision to find a better way to 

deliver the quality of care that 

clients expect and deserve. It was 

this vision that fuelled the journey 

of Newcross being born. 

From small beginnings in Torquay, 

Michelle and Stephen co-founded 

Newcross Healthcare to employ 

trained healthcare staff that would 

deliver an excellent, personalised 

care service in nursing homes, 

hospitals and in the community. 

Two decades and 49 branches 

later, Newcross has grown into the 

highly successful national company 

that we know today. The original 

vision has remained intact and is 

the foundation of every aspect of 

our service, with the well-being and 

dignity of our clients at our heart. 

Stephen said: 

“Our growth is down to each and 

every highly dedicated member 

of the 5000 strong Newcross 

team. Without your hard work and 

commitment to deliver excellence 

as standard, we would not be here 

today to continue to deliver our 

original vision and for this, we thank 

you.” 

Michelle went on to say, “We look 

forward to sharing the coming year 

with you as we start to look 

towards our 

momentous 

21st birthday.” 


Winners 

Announced! 

At the end of every quarter, 

we recognise the achievements 

of two outstanding members 

of staff with the Excellence in 

Healthcare and Excellence in 

Complex Care awards. These 

awards are designed to give 

recognition to those members 

of Newcross who go above and 

beyond the call of duty, 

showing dedication and 

commitment to providing 

excellence as standard. 

Our most recent winners have 

shown outstanding skills and 

received exceptional feedback. 

Stacey Johnstone being presented with her award by 

Dundee Business Manager Mhairi Blyth, and Scotland 

Regional Manager Helen McCabe 

We are proud to announce 

the winner of the 

Excellence in Healthcare 

award; Stacey Johnstone 

from our Dundee branch. 

Stacey was presented her 

award in branch by 

Scotland Regional 

Manager Helen McCabe. 

“Dundee branch staff 

wholeheartedly support the 

nomination of Stacey Johnstone. 

We have had loads of positive 

feedback regarding her - she is 

flexible, adaptable and always 

works to the highest of 

standards. She has had fantastic 

client feedback, in particular a 

weekend whereby Stacey made a 

real difference to the life of one of 

the residents in her care during a 

medical emergency. 

She provided first aid appropriate 

for the emergency until the 

paramedics arrived. When the 

ambulance crew arrived, she 

continually supported both the 

gentleman and paramedic team 

and stayed with him right up until he 

was safely in the ambulance. Dundee 

City Council spoke very highly of 

Stacey and her contribution 

to the care of this resident. 

Newcross news spoke to Stacey 

about how it feels to be an award 

winner. Stacey said: “I was 

shocked to be recognised, but 

thoroughly happy to be 

acknowledged”. 

Q. What’s your favourite part of 

your job? 

A. "Spending time with patients and 

service-users. Everyone is unique and 

great to get on with”. 

Q. How did winning the Excellence 

in Healthcare award make you feel? 

A. “I was shocked to be recognised, 

but thoroughly happy to be 

acknowledged.” 

Q. Please could you give us a bit of 

background about yourself? 

A. “I am a third year mental health 

nursing student. I am a member of 

the Territorial Army (TA)”. 

Q. Why did you choose this profession? 

A. “I was previously a support 

worker, and now as a mental health 

student nurse I really feel that I have 

found my vocation.” 

Q. What is the most challenging 

part of your job? 

A. “Going to new settings all the time.” 

Q. What attracted you to work for 

Newcross? 

A. “I was recommended by a friend 

through the Newcross scheme.” 

Q. What advice would you give to 

those joining the care sector? 

A. “Keep an open mind, no matter 

what. Not everyone is the same, 

and so one size does not fits all.” 

Q. An interesting fact/something 

about you? 

A. “I have recently joined the TA.” 

Congratulations Stacey! 


Loretta Revel being presented with her award by 

Michelle Damerell, Plymouth Complex Care 

Business Centre Manager 

We are excited to 

announce the winner of our 

Excellence in Complex Care 

award; Loretta Revel from 

our Plymouth branch. 

Plymouth Complex Care 

BCM Michelle Damerell 

presented Loretta with her 

award in branch. 

“Loretta has been a very loyal 

member of staff since she started 

with Newcross. She has gone out 

of her way to support us here in 

Plymouth. Loretta has helped out at 

short notice with covering shifts and 

helping us also start up new packages 

on top of her normal working week. 

Loretta will go above and beyond 

to make sure our clients receive the 

best quality care and has always been 

fully committed to her job, whilst also 

considering their needs and wishes. 

We have had many clients who have 

given positive feedback about 

Loretta. We would like to show our 

appreciation in nominating her for 

this award. The support she has given 

branch has been amazing and she 

totally deserves the recognition for all 

of her hard work.” 

We caught up with Loretta and 

asked how receiving the award 

made her feel to which she 

responded; “Astounded, I had no 

idea I had even been nominated so 

it was a huge surprise”. 

Loretta went on to tell us what 

attracted her to the role: 

“I have previously worked with my 

manager and knew if she worked 

for Newcross then it must be a 

good company!” 

Q. How did winning the 

Excellence in Complex Care 

award make you feel? 

A. “Astounded, I had no idea 

I had even been nominated so it 

was a huge surprise”. 

Q. Please could you give us a bit 

of background about 

yourself? 

A. “I was originally a Nanny 

for many years working in 

London, Atlanta, Plymouth & 

Helston. After having children 

of my own I decided to work with 

the elderly and palliative care sector 

and found real contentment 

working with people in real need of 

care and compassion”. 

Q. Why did you choose this 

profession? 

A. “I love people, making people 

feel good about themselves, making 

people happy. It's as 

simple as that really!!” 

Q. What is the most rewarding 


A. “Turning up at someone's house 

and being greeted with a smile and 

a hug, knowing that you are a 

welcome part of that person’s life 

no matter what is needed care wise. 

I have lots of extended 

families, lol”. 

Q. What is the most challenging 


A. “Supporting families at the end 

of a loved ones life or helping my 

clients coming to terms with their 

illnesses, diseases, disabilities or a 

terminal diagnosis”. 

Q. What attracted you to work for 

Newcross? 

A. “I have previously worked with 

my manager and knew if she 

worked for Newcross then it must 

be a good company!” 

Q. What advice would you give to 

those joining the care sector? 

A. “Treat your patients 

as people not a diagnosis and 

treat them as you would treat a 

loved one”. 

Q. An interesting fact/something 

about you? 

A. “I was about to start my access 

course for nursing when I had my 

diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. At 

that point I was very poorly and had 

to give up the course and my job as 

a HCA at Derriford’s Hartor ward. 

I am truly blessed and thankful for 

the support of my family and all of 

my wonderful work colleagues”. 

Congratulations Loretta! 


2016 Manager’s Conference 

Celebrates a year of growth, 

opportunities and new 

landscapes 

Historical Coombe Abbey in 

Warwickshire was the 

destination for the 2016 

Manager’s Conference. It saw our 

70 strong management team 

coming together from our 48 

branches across the UK to 

debate and discuss, engage and 

learn and celebrate success at our 

annual awards ceremony. 

At the conference Stephen and 

Michelle reflected on the many 

successes of the year and the 

Director’s presentations went on to 

highlight what all of us working as 

‘One team’ have achieved. 

Historical Coombe Abbey 

We have opened ten new branches 

across the country and employed 

an additional four hundred trained 

nursing and care staff. Those staff 

together with our existing 

workforce provided an amazing 

4.2 million hours of expert care last 

year that’s an increase of over 30 

percent! We have worked with over 

4,000 clients nationwide and 2,600 

of those are new relationships 

developed in the last 12 months. 

With our current client satisfaction 

rate sitting at over 90 percent we all 

have a lot to be proud of and reflect 

on.

The conference spent time looking 

forward and focusing on how 

Newcross can achieve continuous 

improvement and deliver even 

better results in 2016/ 17. This 

includes the small changes we can 

all make every day to improve our 

own individual performance and 

that of our teams. 

The headline conference 

speeches from the Directors 

focused on the future potential for 

Newcross. They highlighted that we 

will be investing heavily in people, 

training, research and development 

and there will be technical 

developments and of course 

additional offices to help facilitate 

these objectives. 

This will ensure that Newcross 

continues to grow faster than nearly 

any other healthcare company. The 

aim remains to achieve this whilst 

retaining the core values of quality, 

integrity and unparalleled 

service that originally inspired 

Michelle and Stephen to 

launch Newcross Healthcare 

solutions 20 years ago. 

Delegates receive their conference workbooks and personal targets

The Awards Ceremony 

At the conference the worthy 

winners of the 2016 Newcross 

Healthcare Awards were also 

announced. 

Outstanding Achievement 

Award 2016 Rising Star 

Hannah Rivett, HR Officer 

Hannah has recent 

distinctions in CIPD level 7 

work and received an award at 

college for most enterprising 

student. The HR profession 

needs confident, 

knowledgeable, practical 

professionals to assist/advise 

businesses on how to get the 

best out of their people - 

Hannah certainly demonstrates 

a natural affinity for this. 

New Business Centre of 

the Year 2016 

Cannock 

Cannock has technically been 

open since December 2014, 

however Rachel Bailey didn’t 

join us until February.She has 

built up a fantastic team and 

run rate in only her second 

year of trading. Well done 

Rachel and Team Cannock! 


of the Year 2016-Complex 

Care 

Claire Overton 

Claire’s hard work has seen her 

branch achieve fantastic year 

on year growth, for a nonclinician 

she fully embraces 

her role and delivers a 

fantastic service to her 

clients. 

Business Centre 

Manager-Outstanding 

Achievement Award 2016 

Shabnam Dooley 

Shabs has delivered a 

fantastic performance 

including successfully leading 

her team to a milestone week 

for the company late last 

year!! 

Regional Manager of the 

Year 2016 

Mandy Hamilton 

Mandy has successfully 

managed her region to ensure it 

exceeded its year against 

target as well as launching two 

new branches, Yeovil and 

Barnstaple plus launching 

Bournemouth Complex Care. 

She has been instrumental in 

improving the complex care 

offer and has developed senior 

stakeholder relationships across 

her region. She also has some of 

the highest levels of staff 

engagement.


of the Year 2016 

Claire Williamson 

A fantastic performance, 

brilliant staff retention and 

engagement and subsequent 

year on year growth. A real 

dynamo, travels anywhere to 

secure the business with many 

clients over two hours away on 

the West Wales coast line. A 

very well deserved winner. 

Long Service Awards 

Sue Hill, Hazel Mitchell, 

Dan Williams 

Sue 

Joined Newcross in March 2006. 

Her job titles with us have 

included: Recruitment Officer, 

then Quality Assurance 

Manager, She has recently been 

promoted to Quality Assurance 

and Audit Manager. Sue is a 

registered nurse, a qualified 

florist and massive Collabro fan! 

Dan 

Joined Newcross in July 2002. 

His job titles with us have 

included Group IT Manager, 

then Head of IT. 

Dan has a Bachelor of Science 

(BSc), Computer Software 

Engineering degree. He has a 

pug named Peggy who has an 

instagram account and he 

supports Liverpool FC. 

Business Centre of the 

Year 2016 

Chester 

Fantastic team effort, 100% 

staff retention, brilliant year 

on year growth, staff and 

team supported through 

training and development. 

Developed North Wales 

market to launch our new 

Colwyn Bay office. Well done 

Ami and team! 

Hazel 

Joined Newcross in October 2005. 

Her job titles with us have 

included: Branch Manager, Senior 

Business Centre Manager, Territory 

Manager. She has recently been 

promoted to Head of Quality & 

Business Development Scotland. 

Hazel is a registered nurse, she has 

a dog called Sparky and occasionally 

joins her husband on the golf 

course for a round. 

As Stephen and Michelle said; “As 

we look forward to the challenge 

and opportunities of the 

forthcoming year, we would also 

like to thank every one of our staff 

for sharing the Newcross vision 

and values and helping to make 

such a difference to the lives of 

some of the most vulnerable in 

our community.”

newcrossnews 


Green News 

Let’s talk about waste... 

The UK’s waste level is one of the 

highest in Europe and large 

businesses are one of the biggest 

contributing factors. From paper 

waste and printer ink cartridges to 

food and energy waste, let’s take 

a look at what we can do to help 

reduce the amount of waste 

generated at Newcross. 

Problem: Throughout the UK, we 

use a massive 12.5 million tonnes 

of paper and cardboard per year, 

which is around 150 million trees 

a year or on average 38kg of 

newspaper per person per year. 

That’s a lot of paper! 

Solution: In an office setting this can 

be tricky to reduce, but by sending 

an email instead of printing off notes, 

we can help save paper. 

Problem: Around 65 million printer 

cartridges are sold in the UK every 

year and only 9.75 million – that’s 

15%, of them are recycled, leaving 

up to 55.25 million printer 

cartridges going to landfill or 

incineration every year. 

Solution: Printer cartridges are 

widely recycled and here at 

Newcross, we have dedicated 

collections, so don’t put your 

cartridges in the bin, save it for the 

recycling collection day! 

Problem: Almost 50% of the food 

in the UK is thrown away which is 

like eating half of your breakfast, 

lunch and dinner but throwing 

away the other half every day. 

Solution: This can easily be solved 

by planning mealtimes 

effectively and shopping based 

on your plan – this will help you 

reduce the amount you’re buying 

and therefore wasting, while also 

saving you money. 

Problem: Office waste isn’t just 

filling up our landfills it’s also using 

up the worlds’ fossil fuels. Leaving 

a PC monitor on overnight can 

waste up to 15 watts of energy 

that’s just one PC monitor per 

night! Think about how much 

energy the whole office is wasting. 

Solution: This one’s easy…turn off 

your computer, completely! 

Let’s work together to 

help make Newcross an 

even greener company 

by reducing, reusing 

and recycling! 



newcrossnews 

IT 

A better way for office 

staff to book holiday 

please check with your manager 

and then re-submit via the new 

system if necessary. 

All new holiday will now have to be 

requested through myNewcross. 

If you have any questions about 

how to use the new system, please 

refer to the user guide which can 

be found on the Holiday page on 

myNewcross in the first 

instance. 

Any other questions 

not already covered in the 

user guide can be emailed to 

holiday@newcrosshealthcare. 

com and we will respond as soon 

as possible. 

We are excited to announce the 

launch of the new, easier and 

quicker way for office-based staff 

to book holiday. It's located on 

myNewcross in the main menu 

under 'Holiday' and features the 

following: 

• A quick view of your current 

holiday allowance 

• View booked holiday for other 

members of your team before 

requesting new holiday 

• Request new holiday and send 

directly to your manager (no 

email required) 

• View status of existing requests 

pending, approved or rejected 

• Cancel existing requests or 

booked leave in 1-click. 

For managers, you can: 

• View all holiday requests from 

your team in one place 

• Get a quick view of who is 

on leave and when before 

approving new leave requests 

• Approve or reject requests 

with 1-click via email or on 

myNewcross 

• Receive email confirmations for 

your records. 

We have moved over existing 

authorised holiday bookings for 

2016/17 into the new system, so 

please login and check any holiday 

you have already booked is showing 

correctly. If for any reason a holiday 

you expected to be there is missing, 

newcross 

Look out for 

more IT News 

in the next 

issue! 


newcrossnews 


NUR 

Your go-to place for 

healthcare conversation! 

Celebrating International 

Nurses’ Day 2016! 

Nursing is a profession that has been around since the 

beginning of time. Nurses have been at the front line 

of military conflicts, they’ve been at the bedside of 

some of the most influential people in the world, and 

they hold a hand when the lights go out. 

This year the RCN celebrates its 100 year anniversary, 

and we celebrated the achievements of our nurses 

throughout their careers on a special nurChat. 

Choosing to become a nurse is a very special choice 

indeed. When and where we decided to make that 

choice is something that most of us will remember. 

Maybe tales of Florence Nightingale lit up an 

empathetic spark inside; maybe it runs in the family; 

or perhaps due to personal circumstances you felt like 

you needed to give something back. 

Here are some of your tweets on why you chose this 

special vocation: 

@Maymirah "seeing my patients bounce back to life 

is all that matters to me" 

@katixmay "my nan enlisted at 19. now my turn to 

train 64yrs later. Her passion for care inspired me 

most #nurchat" 

@acejody "I am forever inspired by people who in 

spite of all difficulties have the largest hearts & 

kindest souls #nurchat" 

@DonnaNewcross "Follow your dream. Dream, 

believe and achieve #nurchat" 

@Judithross "believe in yourself, look for role 

models, talk to someone through the tough times, 

and enjoy #nurchat" 

@SherwoodZs "I can honestly say that the privilege 

of being entrusted with loved ones makes me proud 

every single day" #nurchat" 

Come along and meet the 

NurChat team at RCN Congress 

in Glasgow. 

Team NurChat will be attending the RCN Congress 

exhibition from 18 – 21st June this year and we’d 

love to see you there! 

Congress is THE date for the diary if you’re 

interested in meeting up with nurses, learning more 

about current affairs and best practice. This year it’s 

taking place at the SECC in Glasgow and we’re on 

stand F18, opposite the RCN stand. 

Come along and take your #NurChatselfie on the 

stand in front our social media wall and meet your 

favourite tweeting nurses, Donna Mullikin and 

Caroline Chamberlain. Don’t forget we’re offering 

plenty of giveaway goodies as usual! 

See you there! 

Why not join us in #NurChat on 

every second Tuesday at 8pm 

and share in the discussion, 

conversation and reflection with 

the #NurChat community. 

Find out more about upcoming NurChat 

discussions at 

www.newcrosshealthcare.com/nurchat-home 

@nurchat 



newcrossnews 

REVALIDATION 

What it means for you 

When revalidation went live on 

1st April, a historic change to the 

regulation of nurses and midwives 

came into effect. With the 

introduction of revalidation, all 

nurses and midwives on the NMC 

register will need to demonstrate 

on a regular basis that they are able 

to deliver care in a safe, effective 

and professional way. 

Of the thousands of nurses and 

midwives who have already gone 

through revalidation, many have 

said that they believe it will deliver 

real benefits in raising standards 

and protecting the public, as well 

as improving their own professional 

practice. 

All 692,000 nurses and midwives 

on the NMC register will go through 

the process when their registration 

becomes due for renewal every 

three years. Our Clinical 

Excellence team are available to 

support you when you come to 

renew. If you are due to revalidate 

and you would like us to support 

you then please email the Clinical 

Excellence team linda.mcveigh@ 

newcrosshealthcare.com. Give an 

indication of dates and times when 

you can attend branch for a 

reflective and/or confirmation 

session. Please give as much 

availability as you can so we can give 

you the time you need. We will then 

call you or email you with a date and 

time to suit both and to check that 

you have the following in place: 

You are registered with 

the NMC online 

You have a copy of the 

code or know where to 

locate one 

You have obtained 5 

pieces of feedback – 

logged on the 

feedback template 

(available on NMC 

Online) 

You have 5 written 

reflections (completed 

on the mandatory 

NMC reflective 

account forms) 

If you have less than 

450 hours with 

Newcross you have 

completed the 

practice hours 

template (available on 

the NMC online) 

You have completed 

the CPD hours 

template (available on 

the NMC online) 

You are able to revalidate 60 days 

in advance of your revalidation 

date so the sooner we can 

confirm the better - just in case 

you need to add anything extra. 

We look forward to hearing from 

you. 

Newcross Training 

Top 12 Courses 

for Newcross 

Nurses and 

HCAs 

New Courses announced! 

Newcross training credits no 

longer expire after 12 months 

so make sure you are taking full 

advantage of the learning and 

development opportunities on 

offer. 

Nurse Courses 

Venepuncture 

Syringe Drivers 

Catheterisation 

Medication Teraining 

Wound Care 

Peg and Pump (Enteral 

Feeding) 

Healthcare Assistant Courses 

Epilepsy Awareness 

Basic Life Support 

End of Life Care 

Understanding Behaviour 

Intellectual Disability 

Dementia Awareness 

All of the courses will be rolled 

out throughout the country. 

Enquire in branch about 

securing your place today! 

You can also find more 

information on the training 

pages on myNewcross. 

www.mynewcross.com/Training 


newcrossnews 


uality Counts 

from the Clinical Excellence team 

The perfect 

handover 

What do you need to know 

before you accept the keys? 

with Alex Alen, Registered General Nurse 

Questions to ask: 

Environment 

• Number for manager on call 

• Location of emergency 

equipment 

• Location of Fire escapes/ 

alarms 

• Location of drugs and stock 

• Location of store rooms 

• Location of TEP/DNR forms 

Part of the clinical team’s role is 

to support nurses through any 

errors and complaints by carrying 

out reflective learning. Through 

evaluating these reflections and 

having discussions with the 

nurses, themes have been identified, 

highlighting contributing factors to 

many of these errors. 

A poor handover has been 

highlighted as one of these 

contributing factors; ‘Without an 

effective handover, service user’s 

care and safety can be seriously 

compromised’. 

(Dowding 2001). 

Working in different environments 

and care settings means that as a 

nurse you need to ensure you are 

confident that you have the 

knowledge to take on the 

responsibility, and you have the 

information to be accountable for 

your actions during your shift. 

Not only do you need to review 

each service user, understanding 

their medical history and current 

restrictions, treatment plans and 

any advance directives, you also 

need to understand risk 

management issues and local 

policies related to the home and 

environment. 

Safety briefs have been identified 

by many health organisations as 

a tool to help care settings create 

a culture of safety, reduce the risk 

of medication errors and improve 

quality of care (Institute For Health 

Improvement www.ihi.org) 

Using an initial safety brief 

alongside the patient handover, 

should ensure that the correct 

information is being given in order 

to be aware of any safety issues 

regarding service users and the 

ongoing management of the home. 

This should help you to structure 

your shift, organise your team and 

prioritise care for your service users. 

Service Users 

• Diabetics 

• Specific medication not at 

drug round times 

• Is there a service user that 

requires my immediate 

attention? 

• Any service user requiring 

1-1 

• Any service user on end of 

Life pathway 

• High Falls Risk 

• Risk of absconding 

Staffing 

• Staffing Levels 

• Roles and responsibilities 

This list is not exhaustive and 

different service users and 

homes may have different 

needs. When you have finished 

handover, not just the keys but 

the accountability is handed 

over to you. Do you have the 

information you need to be 

responsible for that shift? 



newcrossnews 

uality Counts 

What Quality 

means for us 

with Sue Hill, Quality Assurance and Audit Manager 

Throughout my 10 years 

working as a Quality Assurance 

Manager with Newcross, our brand 

has always been focused on the 

delivery of a quality-driven service. 

This ethos is reflected within our 

Mission Statement, Team Pledge, 

policies, processes, and the high 

standards of care we provide to our 

clients and service users. 

My role as Quality and Audit 

Manager is to connect people to 

processes and to drive efficiency 

and improvement across the 

organisation. We can evidence the 

positive effects of this approach 

through our continued growth, and 

through national recognition as one 

of the leading providers of care in 

the UK. 

I often ask people how they would 

define Quality and receive many 

interesting answers. Quality means 

different things to different people, 

but the overriding message must be 

that it is a concept of delivering a 

service or product that meets or exceeds 

the expectation of the person 

receiving it. 

Measuring the “Quality” of our 

organisation can be achieved 

through a robust Quality Assurance 

system. This includes continually 

monitoring and auditing our 

systems and processes, 

gathering feedback, reviewing 

performance, risk assessment and 

effectively managing change. 

However, the number of people 

needing care will grow as the 

population expands and ages, 

putting the ability to deliver 

quality under more and more 

pressure through reduced budgets 

and restrictions on funding. 

Social Care has become more 

complex, with more people being 

looked after in care homes or their 

own homes, and our care staff now 

commonly undertake tasks 

previously delegated only to 

nurses. Our nurses are also facing 

new challenges with the 

introduction of revalidation, which 

encouraged reflection and 

self-assessment. 

With Newcross operating services 

within England, Scotland and Wales 

we are constantly re-assessing the 

playing field to keep pace with the 

changing world of regulation and 

legislation. We need to meet the 

changing needs of our clients and 

service users as well as balancing 

those with the expectations of our 

regulators. 

One of the measurements we use 

to gauge the quality of our service 

and staff is by regularly send out 

assessment forms. In March 2016, 

we sent out over 6,000 individual 

assessments and from the feedback 

we received, over 96% were rated 

above average and many of these 

included some great comments. 

What our clients 

said: 

Albulena was a great 

help and night staff 

all said they would 

be happy to work 

with her again any 

time. She fitted in 

easily and quickly 

got to grasps with 

our resident’s needs. 

Svetlana was by 

far one of the best 

carers I have ever 

worked with. She 

was the consummate 

professional and 

went above and 

beyond the call of 

duty at all times. It 

was a pleasure 

working with her. 

Lorna has worked 

at Limewood for 

some time now and 

appears to enjoy 

her work. I feel the 

service in general 

provided by 

Newcross is 

excellent. Lots of 

very caring staff and 

excellent 

communication with 

call handlers. 

Great personality, 

very caring person, 

made lots of effort 

to know the 

residents in the short 

time Abi had with us, 

great experience and 

very polite. 


I’m a Newcross Volunteer 



Join us for 

our big 

2016 charity 

push! 

Our aim for 2016 is to raise 

even more money for 

charity than last year by 

concentrating our efforts 

and organising corporate 

events in advance so we 

can all get involved! 

The four corporate charities we 

are supporting this year are: 

• Sport Relief 

• Macmillan 

• Children in Need 

• NSPCC 




To help us raise even more than 

last year, we have 

assigned each different charity 

to a quarter. Allowing both 

branch and healthcare staff to 

raise money for each quarter’s 

allocated charity without 

having to wait for a big event. 

• Q1 (01/01 - 31/03) 

Sports Relief 

• Q2 (01/04 - 30/06) 

Macmillan 

• Q3 (01/07 - 30/09) 

Children in Need 

• Q4 (01/10 - 31/12) 

NSPCC 

We are also planning a 'big reveal' 

for the end of the year to share how 

much we have raised as a company 

for our big four charities. 

If you would like to support a 

different charity to the four 

mentioned above, be it local or 

national, then get in contact and we 

will help promote and raise 

awareness of your cause. 

Newcross Volunteers is the new 

scheme to encourage you to 

volunteer with charities and share 

your stories/photos with us using the 

new charity@newcrosshealthcare.com 

email. 

We have also created a new 

Newcross Volunteers page on 

myNewcross to act as a hub for 

sharing all stories and photos of our 

charity events. The page will show 

you all the exciting upcoming 

charity events and also provide you 

with links to each charity's webpage 

for you to learn more about what 

they do. 

Truro branch raising 

money for Sport 

Relief 

NEWCROSS RAISE 

MONEY FOR SPORT 

RELIEF! 

On Friday 18th March, Newcross 

answered the call and helped raise 

money for Sport Relief. On the day, 

our branch staff either dressed up 

as their sporting heroes or dressed 

down and donated a minimum of 

£2 for the privilege. 

We had donations come through 

thick and fast bringing our total to a 

fantastic… £478!! 

Our Dundee branch deserves a 

special round of applause for 

raising £200 by braving the 

elements and taking part in the 

“Sport Relief Mile” which was held 

on Sunday 20th March in 

Camperdown Country Park. 

Sport Relief is the weekend, every two 

years, when the British public can get 

active, have fun and raise cash to help 

people living incredibly tough lives 

both in the UK and around the world. 

This year, Sport Relief raised a 

record breaking £55,444,906 

during their night of entertainment 

with thanks to the amazing 

generosity of the British public. 

A big thank you to everyone who got 

involved, sent their photos and shared 

our donate link. You can view all the 

photos from the event on 

our "Newcross 

Volunteers" page 

on myNewcross. 


Join Newcross 

and become a 

Dementia 

Friend 

Newcross pledges 

to become 

Dementia Friendly! 

Dementia Friends is a social action 

movement run by the Alzheimer’s 

Society. It is backed by the Government 

as part of the Dementia Challenge to 

make the UK the best county in the 

world for dementia care by 2020. 

We at Newcross are answering this 

call by setting ourselves the 

challenge of getting everyone in the 

company involved. Please join us by 

signing up to this fantastic cause 

and learn how you can really make 

a difference in someone's life. 

To sign up, simply visit myNewcross 

and click on the Dementia Friend 

banner located at the top of the page. 

So far we have had an amazing 

response as 1203* members of 

Newcross have signed up to 

become Dementia Friends. 

*(correct as of 13th May 2016) 

Well done to everyone who 

has got involved! 

What is a Dementia 

Friend? 

A Dementia Friend learns a little bit 

more about what it's like to live 

with dementia and then turns 

that understanding into action - 

anyone of any age can be a 

Dementia Friend. Whether you attend 

a face-to-face Dementia Friends 

Information Session or watch the 

online video, Dementia Friends is 

about Learning more about 

dementia and the small ways you 

can help. From telling friends about 

Dementia Friends to visiting someone 

you know living with dementia, every 

action counts. 

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia 

Friends initiative was launched in 

March 2013 to give as many people 

across England an understanding of 

dementia and some of the actions 

we can all take to help those living 

with the condition. 

Other ways to get involved 

include: 

• Follow Dementia Friends 

on Twitter, Facebook and 

Instagram. 

• Sign up to the Dementia 

Friends e-newsletter. 

• Read the Dementia Friends 

blog 

• Find out more about 

Alzheimer's Society's 

Dementia Friendly Community 

programmes 

• Find out what activities are 

taking place through your local 

Dementia Action Alliance 

• Find out more about 

Alzheimer's Society's work. 



Mary-Kate Eynon from our Swansea 

branch took part in the "Rainbow 

Run" to raise money for Tŷ Hafan - a 

children's charity based in Wales. 

Tŷ Hafan aims to meet all of the 

needs of life-limited children, young 

people and their families, at every 

step of their difficult journeys. 

“The event which was held on the 

23rd April was a fun 5K run. Over 

2000 people took part in the 

run which was held on Swansea 

Beach. It was a brilliant day and we 

raised over £200. Thank you to all 

who donated!” 

Kim Urwin-Nash from Central 

Support ran the Bath half 

marathon which took place on 

the 13th March. Kim was running 

for the charity which is close to her 

heart, “Holly Hedge”, an 

animal sanctuary in Bristol. 

So far Kim has raised over £295 for 

this excellent charity. 

“The Bath Half Marathon went really 

well! I completed it in 2 hours and 

26 minutes, I’m very proud 

considering this was my first half 

Marathon”. 

Tom Evans from our Bournemouth 

branch has been selected to join 

Raleigh International’s 12 week 

overseas placement in Tanzania. 

Tom will use his experience working 

as a Newcross Healthcare Assistant 

to raise awareness of the 

importance of hygiene and 

sanitation with care workers whom 

he will be in direct contact with, to 

reduce the risk of infection. 

TANZANIA 


100 Clubbers enjoy 

well-deserved luxury 

break 

Martin Niblett, Michelle Gorringe and 

Hazel Mitchell 

Ellenborough Park 

Cheltenham Race Course 

Newcross is a business 

driven by its employees, 

and our 100 Club plays a 

significant role in rewarding 

exceptional performance 

from our teams, allowing 

them to share innovative 

ideas for the future 

development and growth 

of the business. 

Every year we celebrate our top 

performing office employees by 

inviting them to join our prestigious 

100 Club. The club recognises the 

talent of its members, giving them 

the opportunity to shape the future 

of the company and also thank 

them for their incredible work and 

commitment by treating them to an 

exclusive activities break. 

This year our top performing 100 

Clubbers (In no particular order) are: 

Alix Ripley - Exeter 

Paul Jennings - Central Recruitment 

Hazel Mitchell - Scotland 

Kailee Coffin - HR 

Caroline Armstrong - Scotland 

Kelly Gaffney - Central Recruitment 

Louise Donachie - Kirkcaldy 

Laura Rogers - Accounts 

Martin Niblett – Gloucester 

Ann Senior - Central Recruitment 

Dale Carkeek - Central Recruitment 

Emilie Tomkins - Central Recruitment 

Ami Allmand - Chester 

Kim Keen - New Launch Manager 

Angela Jane - Truro 

Gail McAdam - Kirkcaldy 

This year we pulled out all the 

stops, creating a fantastic 

experience that was bigger and 

better than ever before! Our 

worthy winners were whisked off 

to the luxurious countryside retreat 

Ellenborough Park in the heart of 

the Cotswolds. 

The event was an action packed 

one, with a team building challenge, 

that brought out the group’s artistic 

talents followed on day two when 

the 100 clubbers were transported 

to the stables of trainer Graeme 

McPherson. There they toured the 

stables, met Graeme and enjoyed a 

champagne reception whilst 

watching the spectacle of the 

horses work on the uphill gallop. 

Later that morning they were 

transported to Cheltenham 

Racecourse for a day of enthralling 

racing, enjoyed from the luxury of a 

private box. The day was rounded 

off by a VIP black – tie event. 

Michelle Gorringe said: 

“Congratulations to all our top 

performers who enjoyed such a 

fantastic event! At Newcross our 

ethos is quality and excellence, from 

delivering excellence to our clients, 

to rewarding excellence from our 

employees. 

“The 100 Club is a great 

opportunity for us to recognise and 

reward exceptional performance 

but also to hear their ideas, use their 

experience and talent to help shape 

Newcross moving forward.” 

You can view pictures from this 

year’s event by viewing the gallery 

on myNewcross. 



newcrossnews 

CURRENT 

VACANCIES 

IN OUR 

OFFICE TEAMS 

We’re looking for exceptional people to join our office teams, 

here are a selection of roles we have available. Could you be 

our next Business Centre Manager? Do you want to take the 

next step in your career and become a Staff Allocation Officer? 

REGIONAL OPERATIONS 

MANAGER 

EAST 

This role will be key to the growth 

of Newcross throughout the East 

of England, including new branch 

openings and ensuring compliance 

of KPI’s from your team of Business 

Centre Managers. 

BUSINESS CENTRE MANAGER 

MILTON KEYNES 

To effectively lead and manage 

a business centre for Newcross 

Healthcare Solutions, delivering all 

necessary business targets, namely 

compliance, profitability and 

growth, whilst working in 

accordance to the organisation’s 

values and beliefs. 

HEALTHCARE CO-ORDINATOR 

COVENTRY 

We have an opportunity to join our 

great team in Coventry. You’ll need 

to be sales focused and have the 

ability to make sales calls both 

warm and cold, give excellent 

customer service to our clients and 

staff team and be highly motivated 

to provide a quality service. 

Find out more by visiting 

www.newcrosshealthcare.com/jobs 

or email 

martin.rodham@newcrosshealthcare.com 

CENTRAL SUPPORT 

CONTACT CENTRE ADVISOR 

BRISTOL 

Due to an exciting period of growth 

we are recruiting for Contact 

Centre Advisors to join our busy 

Central Support Team in the heart 

of Bristol. We are looking for 

dynamic individuals with strong 

multi-tasking and time 

management skills with proficient 

IT skills to join our dedicated 

central support team. 


www.newcrosshealthcare.com/jobs/bristol 

or email 



www.newcrosshealthcare.com/office-jobs/ 

head-office-jobs 

or email 



WORCESTER 

We are looking for an exceptional, 

confident and dynamic self-starter 

with a strong background in 

recruitment and manage our 

branch in Worcester to even 

greater success and achieve our 

mission ‘To dominate the 

market through excellence’. 

Are you ready for the challenge? 


www.newcrosshealthcare.com/jobs/ 

or email 



www.newcrosshealthcare.com/jobs/coventry 

or email 


COMPLEX CARE 


ASHFORD 

We are looking for a confident, 

dynamic self-starter with a strong 

background providing effective 

leadership and management of 

complex care services (Homecare 

Services), you will also have a 

knowledge of recruitment, 

business management and sales, 

you will need to be highly 

motivated by targets. If you’ve got 

a strong commitment to excellence 

and the drive to succeed we’d love 

to hear from you. 


www.newcrosshealthcare.com/jobs/ashord 

or email 



Free DBS/PVG 

Free uniform 

Excellent rates of pay and holiday pay 

Workplace pension 

Excellent working environments 

Create your own rota and enjoy a better work/life balance 

Specialised Nurse Training 

Revalidation Support - Get Revalidation Ready! 

Specialist Nurse support from Clinical Excellence Team 

Recognition schemes and rewards 

Nurchat - Nurse forum - get support from your peers & discuss issues 

YOUR 

£500 

PLATINUM TICKET 

Newcross nursing..discover the difference 

and be part of a national nursing team with clinical excellence 

at its heart 

Terms and conditions apply. 

Go to www.newcrosshealthcare.com/platinumticket2016 to find out more. 

Newcross nursing. Experience the difference

Newcross News Issue 8 - May/June

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